The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been directed
to investigate and take necessary action against Mr Pinnick Amaju
Melvin, Mallam Shehu Dikko and three other top board members of the
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
A statement by Nneka, the Media Aide to the Minister of Youths and
Sports, Solomon Dalung, said the probe was sequel to a petition the
anti-graft agency received from a former Super Eagles’ Coach, James
Peters.
DAILY POST reports that the petition was dated May 4, 2018 and
titled: ‘MONUMENTAL STEALING AND FINANCIAL CRIMES IN THE NIGERIA
FOOTBALL FEDERATION’.
In the petition, Peters, who coached National teams and led them to
notable victories, urged the EFCC to carry out a thorough investigation
on an alleged “unprecedented stealing, corrupt practices and financial
crimes being perpetrated by the current President Mr Amaju Melvin
Pinnick, the General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi, the 1st Vice
President Barrister Seyi Akinwumi, the 2nd Vice President Mallam Shehu
Dikko and a member of the Executive Committee Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf (AKA
Fresh).”
The former Technical Director also alleged of “stealing and
fraudulent activities by FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES LTD, a company cunningly
brought into the NFF by President Amaju Pinnick for the sole purpose of
warehousing money outside the official accounts of the NFF in the
Central Bank and diverting same for fraudulent activities.”
Similarly, the petition stated that “These NFF chieftains have also
used the company MEDITERRANEAN SPORTS LIMITED belonging to Mallam Shehu
Dikko who is the 2nd Vice President of the Executive Committee, Chairman
of the League Management Company, a body saddled with the
responsibility of running the Elite league, and attracts millions of
dollars from sponsorships and Chairman, Marketing and Sponsorship
sub-committee of the NFF to collect over 40% of revenues from the
numerous sponsors of the NFF.”
The petitioner in the letter, alleged that despite the Federal
government’s policy of Treasury Single Account where monies of
government Parastatals are lodged for purposes of checking leakages etc,
Mr Amaju Pinnick and others obtained the services of FINANCIAL
DERIVATIVES COMPANY LTD to warehouse revenue accruing to the NFF from
well spirited individuals and Corporate organizations which never got to
the NFF.
He further alleged that funds made available by corporate sponsors were never disclosed.
Mr Peters called for a Forensic audit to be carried out to look at all approvals and retirements by the mentioned persons.
In a notification letter with ref no. EFCC/EC/mos/59/17, and written
to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports by the
Acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, the anti-graft agency notified
the Ministry that it had received a petition from Mr Peters.